Which learning management system do you consider most popular and valuable? I understand that some schools have customized systems but Blackboard appears to be the industry gold standard. Do you agree? Why or why not.

I learned the hard way to not change a course based on a group of evaluations. It was my first year teaching and I did not understand the process of reviewing over a certain period what should and should not be changed. I had to learn about different learners and how they would assess a course. Finally, I learned you don't change everything if one thing is at issue.

I think it is good to have peer review and feedback. If an instructor does this it must be noted what the ground rules are. I have found people are kinder but thoughtful with their feedback. Students take it seriously.

I never heard this term used in education before. It makes sense students would build on what they have previously learned as they move forward. It is important the teacher has developed a program that makes it obvious to the student they are not learning something altogether new but taking their knowledge to the next step.

The testing and res=testing or assessing is so true when developing your online course. I also agree with keeping the look of certain online material consistent.

The review of content never ends. It is imperative as new technologies and new information come to light in our respective fields we must continue to update our methods. online there is information available at the touch of a button. If we are not keeping our materials up to date we will not be a viable resource to our students. As we review we can take the feedback given from the students and improve our delivery. This in turn perpetuates a constant movement to improve your content delivery and the institution, students, and instructors alike benefit from this constant revision.

the need to interact in the online environment is innate and imperative. To be present for the students as they need you to be is a challenge, so your feedback has got to be concise and encouraging. When a professor or instructor has the ability to see an individual in person feelings and emotions can be seen they can be a bit more caviler in their communication due to the ability to express emotion and non verbal communication. But in an online enviornemnt a statement can be made and taken out of context and if the student feels as they may have been disrespected or worse not taken seriously you loose the ability to reach these individuals. It is a challenge to convey exactly what is needed through computer communication, but as leaders of the classroom we must take it upon ourselves to understand how we are perceived.

Without proper communication we can loose students in online environments because they do not feel as though their needs are being met. Some students feel that if an instructor does not respond to their discussions, in many cases that the instructor does not care about their learning. Being an interactive presence for the students in an online environment encourages more participation and a feeling that the students and the instructor are working towards the same goal. To increase the knowledge base of the student.

In my experience I have seen an LMS get implemented without any form of testing, this caused a huge customer service issue for the individuals taking the course and the instructors that had to lead this course as well. All systems need to be tested and continuously reviewed. Links do not always stay available if that are not archived accurately and in these reviews these issues can be rectified. It is better to take the time to test and update our material before it is implemented then after or you will spend more working time dealing with the problems that will arise from the issues.

I am not a fan of changing material or content to often. A well planned and organized lesson plan should have gone through a thorough checklist before students are introduced to it. However, I do believe if after a few groups have gone through a course and the instructor finds students are having trouble in the same areas, change is needed.

I am finding that I should be more present in the course forums. I think by gently guiding the students they may start to participate more thoughtfully and pay more attention to guidelines.

It is beneficial for students to learn at their own pace but Instructors must stay active to be sure students are staying on track. Some students will struggle and never inform their teacher. It is up to us to look for signs that tell us students are not fully engaged.

Everyday I run into problems with students who struggle with all of the technology used in resident and online education. Instructors not only teach course material but must instruct on how to use the tools. This can be difficult and take a lot of time. More institutions must start providing tools to help students outside of class time.

Keeping good record keep is a must in the online environment. It will help you when you have to deal with a complaint from the student that you have not been responding to their emails. If you have copies of you responses to their email will help prove your case if it comes up.

Providing feedback in a timely manner is very important to the learner. When giving feedback on a written assignment I use the sandwich technique. Give praise at the beginning and end of your feedback.

Establishing a relationship with your online learners are important. I post a welcome announcement on the blackboard for my students when they log in for the first time. On the first day of the class I email them a rise to the top email giving them tips on how to successfully complete the class and how to contact me.

When the course structure is easy to navigate thru it helps the online learner. The school I work for have a road map set in place for the student to help the student stay focused and help them be more interactive in the course.

The biggest issue I have seen in the past with this learning platform, is at times the communications between students and instructor is lacking. Also the communications between students may not be as clear as in the traditional ground class.

The biggest issue with an on-line format is noticing when students have issues participating in the group format (discussion boards or chat rooms). Once that is observed, then it can be addressed in order to promote a positive experience to all of the students in the class.

With an on-line class you need to express yourself in such a way that the students come across with a positive feeling that the instructor has the knowledge to teach the course. Giving personal references to incidents that have occurred in the past shows your interest and background.